Playground Safety Tips That Help Calm My Anxiety

If you’re like me, there’s often a worst case scenario running through your mind. Going out in public brings them on and the playground especially. There’s a ton of things that could go wrong between the parking lot and the play structure.

Bright Colored Clothing

Starting at home, if we’re going somewhere crowded, I make sure my kids are dressed in bright colors. Most boys have a dark colored jacket, so it’s sometimes hard to scan the playground and find your child. We know how quickly toddlers can get from one side of the playground to another. Currently my toddler has an orange jacket and my baby’s is lime green. Those colors are much easier to see as I glance around the playground. Doing this gives me peace of mind and makes my life easier.

Shout for Help (Don’t Search in Silence)

Something I heard online that I think of often is how to call out for help to find a lost child. Shouting your child’s name only involves you in the search because onlookers don’t know what your child looks like by their name. If you call out a description of your child anyone around you can help you look. If you have your kids in bright clothes, that also makes it easier for your child to be spotted by anyone helping you look.

This goes something like: “I’m looking for a little boy, brown hair, orange jacket, blue pants, 3 years old.” Before we went to the Big E, I had my husband and I practice saying our toddler’s outfit description in the car. Thankfully we didn’t have to use it, but I felt as prepared as I could be for that what if.

Parking Lot Safety

In the parking lot, loading and unloading can get chaotic if you’re watching one child while unloading a second and third. Telling a 3 year old “stay here” is very vague and I have two tricks for this.

1. Tell them to touch the car. They even make magnets or decals that look like a handprint that you can put on your car. For my child, using the color name is enough: “touch the [color of your car]” gives them specific directions, much more direct and straightforward for a toddler to understand.
2. My second strategy works in the parking lot or for keeping them near me as we’re walking around. I have him hold on to the stroller, specifically the “Mommy hook” – that giant carabiner clip that you can use for bags. It’s the perfect handle and is less awkward than holding the stroller frame because it moves and hangs at a good height.

Helping Your Child Leave

This last thing is more about your mental sanity and the anxiety about melt downs when leaving the park. Nobody wants their child having a tantrum in public and leaving the park is almost a guaranteed melt down. Most parents are great about setting timers and giving their child a two minute warning. The thing is, children – especially toddlers – don’t have a good concept of time. Two minutes doesn’t mean much in terms of planning the end of their game or fitting in all the things they want to do.

I give my child two warnings when it’s time to go. First I tell him that we’re going to leave soon. Then when it’s time to go, I tell him to pick his last thing. This means one more time down a slide, five more pushes on a swing, or three more throws of the basketball. I watch to help him count the things and when he’s finished with what he picked, he knows it’s time to leave. This works great for transitioning at play dates as well or really any time of transition.

I hope these things can help calm your anxiety as your child has a blast at the park! And make your time out a little less stressful. I also want to note that it is common for moms to worry and have anxiety about their children’s safety. But please contact a medical professional if the anxiety is inhibiting your daily activities or your quality of life. The right support makes all the difference and it never hurts to check if what you’re experiencing is normal. There are many supports and resources out there to manage and care for your mental health.